Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Google Bans Ads For 'Untested, Deceptive Treatments,' Including Many Stem Cell, Gene Therapies
The Washington Post: Google Bars Ads For Unproven Therapies, Including Stem Cells
Responding to ubiquitous online marketing by stem cell clinics selling unapproved treatments for everything from achy joints to Alzheimer’s, Google announced Friday it will no longer accept ads for “unproven or experimental medical techniques,” including most stem cell therapy, cellular therapy and gene therapy. The Internet giant said it was taking the step after seeing “a rise in bad actors” trying to take advantage of patients by offering “untested, deceptive treatments.” Often, Google said in a post explaining the new policy, “these treatments can lead to dangerous health outcomes and we feel they have no place on our platforms.” (Wan and McGinley, 9/6)
Los Angeles Times: Scientists Are Hopeful About A Vaccine To Prevent HIV
First there were the drugs that could knock back HIV to undetectable levels, and the virus was no longer synonymous with a death sentence. Then came a treatment that allowed people who were HIV-negative to remain that way, even if their partners weren’t. But to truly defeat the virus that causes AIDS, doctors need a vaccine. And after decades of dead ends and dashed hopes, they may finally be on the verge of having one. (Baumgaertner, 9/6)
The New York Times: Death By Diet Soda?
Does guzzling diet soda lead to an early demise? There was a collective gasp among Coke Zero and Diet Pepsi drinkers this week after media reports highlighted a new study that found prodigious consumers of artificially sweetened drinks were 26 percent more likely to die prematurely than those who rarely drank sugar-free beverages. (Jacobs, 9/6)
NPR: Prenatal 'Bootcamp' For New Dads Taught By Dads Helps Whole Family
"Before I became a dad, the thought of struggling to soothe my crying baby terrified me," says Yaka Oyo, 37, a new father who lives in New York City. Like many first-time parents, Oyo worried he would misread his newborn baby's cues. "I pictured myself pleading with my baby saying, 'What do you want?' "Oyo's anxieties are common to many first-time mothers and fathers. One reason parents-to-be sign up for prenatal classes, is to have their questions, such as 'What's the toughest part of parenting?' and 'How do I care for my newborn baby?' answered by childcare experts. (Fraga, 9/8)
San Francisco Chronicle: Major Shortcomings In Organ Transplant Network Flagged In UCSF, Columbia Studies
The nation’s organ transplant network is a work in progress, with health care providers and patient advocates constantly devising new strategies to fairly distribute a scarce resource. But two recent studies have identified areas in particular need of improvement. (Allday, 9/7)
The New York Times: Yes, Texting While Walking Is Relatively Safe. (But Still Annoying.)
If you have crossed a street in a major city recently, the odds are good that you have bumped into someone staring at a phone. Perhaps your eyes were also locked on your phone at the time. Maybe they are on the screen as you cross the street right now. (If so, look up! This story can wait.) Worried about the danger that addictive smartphones might pose on car-clogged streets, New York State lawmakers in 2017 ordered New York City to study “the dangers of being a distracted pedestrian.” (Gold, 9/6)
The Washington Post: The Health Risks Of Supplements And Alternative Medicine
A few weeks ago, a patient came to me complaining of nausea, muscle weakness and fatigue. Her urine was tea-colored despite drinking loads of water. A middle-aged woman, she seemed worried she had cancer or some deadly disease. Her lab tests revealed significant liver dysfunction. But her symptoms were not due to liver cancer, hepatitis or other disease. It turned out she had liver toxicity from a green tea supplement that she’d heard was a “natural” way to lose weight. (McBride, 9/7)
The Washington Post: Hiking With Baby Makes Kids And Parents Happy, Mom Finds
Six-year-old Mason Hodges can rattle off any number of plant and animal species when out in the woods, his knowledge deeper than many adults. He’s also environmentally aware and understands he should treat the Earth with respect. His mother, 47-year-old Shanti Hodges, credits this to how he’s been hiking with her since birth. Shanti is the accidental founder of a movement that is now well over 200,000 families strong. Hike it Baby began right after Mason was born, when Utah-based Shanti found herself feeling cooped up indoors and out of touch with the hiking community she loved. (Loudin, 9/7)
Kaiser Health News: Millions Of Diabetes Patients Are Missing Out On Medicare’s Nutrition Help
Louis Rocco has lived with diabetes for decades but, until he met with a registered dietitian in August, he didn’t know eating too much bread was dangerous for him. “I’m Italian, and I always eat a lot of bread,” he said. After two hour-long visits with a dietitian — including a session at his local grocery store in Philadelphia — Rocco, 90, has noticed a difference in his health. (Galewitz, 9/9)
The CT Mirror: Blacks, Poor At Higher Risk Of Heart Disease; Overall Death Rate Falls
The death rate from heart disease plummeted nationally over several decades for all racial and ethnic groups, but the rate of decline has slowed slightly and African Americans and low-income individuals are still at a higher risk of developing the disease and dying from it, according to a report from the National Center of Health Statistics. The report isn’t surprising to Dr. Edward Schuster, medical director, Stamford Health Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. (Backus, 9/8)
The New York Times: The Challenge Of Identifying Sjogren’s Syndrome
Angelica Divinagracia, a 54-year-old fitness instructor in Los Angeles, woke one morning with her tongue literally stuck to the roof of her mouth. Though she normally drank lots of water, especially after strenuous workouts with clients, she thought her chronically dry mouth was due to dehydration. That is, until an even more troublesome symptom — excruciating scratchy eye pain unrelieved by drops — prompted an immediate visit to her ophthalmologist. (Brody, 9/9)
